Car bomb explodes at funeral

Iraqi government greeted by violence

Published: Monday, May 02, 2005

ASSOCIATED PRESS

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A car bomb obliterated a tent packed with mourners at the funeral of a Kurdish official in northern Iraq on Sunday, killing 25 people and wounding more than 50 in the deadliest attack since insurgents started bearing down on Iraq's newly named government late last week.

The blast capped four exceedingly violent days in which at least 116 people, including 11 Americans, were killed in a storm of bombings and ambushes blamed on Iraqi insurgents, believed largely populated by members of the disaffected Sunni Arab minority.

Despite the unrelenting violence, Iraq's national security adviser said Sunday the fledgling government was making progress against the insurgents.

Death toll

A breakdown of the four-day death toll since Iraq named its new government on April 28. At least 105 Iraqis and 11 U.S. soldiers have been killed.

Thursday: 5 Iraqis killed, 5 U.S. soldiers

Friday: 47 Iraqis killed, 5 U.S. soldiers

Saturday: 17 Iraqis killed, 1 U.S. soldier

Sunday: 36 Iraqis killedn Total: At least 116 killed

Iraqi militants also released a video purporting to show Iraq's latest foreign hostage - an Australian married to an American and living in the San Francisco area. Douglas Wood, 63, was shown seated between two masked militants pointing automatic weapons at him.

His wife, Pearl, said he had been in Iraq about 18 months, working as an engineer.

The car bomb attack occurred in Tal Afar, 93 miles east of the Syrian border, the U.S. military and a provincial official said. Mourners had gathered for the funeral of Sayed Talib Sayed Wahab, an official of the Kurdish Democratic Party, said deputy provincial governor and party spokesman Khisru Goran, speaking from nearby Mosul.

Goran said a car plowed into the funeral tent and exploded, but the U.S. military said it was not a suicide attack. U.S. troops, Iraqi police and ambulances raced to the carnage, but unidentified gunmen blocked the road and fighting broke out, Goran said.

At least six other car bombs - one of them a suicide attack - and four roadside explosions hit Baghdad on Sunday, killing six Iraqis and wounding more than 20 civilians and five U.S. soldiers.